A MILL VALLEY musician's spontaneous song of compassion that unified a bitterly divided crowd for an extraordinary moment during a Civic Center debate last fall has been refined in a studio recording for distribution as a CD.

And Richard Howell, the noted Bay Area jazz musician who calmed a raucous crowd with a melody of love and hope, wants to give his tune away for free as soon as he raises funds covering costs.

For many veteran observers, the spirited session on county housing policy last September was the most remarkable meeting of the county board in years, and Howell's "There's Still a Lot of Love in Marin" emerged as a song for the ages. Passionate partisans set aside striking differences and joined in appreciation as Howell sounded his harmonic call.

"There's still a lot of love in Marin," a soulful Howell sang, lifting his hands to prompt a rare moment of accord for the audience that clapped along with him.

Howell, head of the globe-trotting jazz ensemble Richard Howell Quintet, repeated the line over and over, creating the song and its melody as he went along, weaving the performance with soothing notes from his saxophone. He took a bow amid applause from the 250 people who jammed into the county board meeting to argue about housing programs.

Although Howell departed before unity dissolved in discord about the merits of plans for high-density housing accommodating the poor in suburban neighborhoods along Highway 101, the common ground his performance provided was not soon forgotten.

After performing and teaching at a jazz series in Germany, including an appearance at the Berlin Jazz Fest with Joachim Kühn and Pharaoh Sanders, Howell returned to Marin to record the Marin song at his home studio as urged by Gerri Kunin of Mill Valley, his "executive producer, chief bottle washer and visionary." Kunin, a public housing advocate, arranged Howell's appearance before the board last year.

"She inspired me to continue spreading the love here in Marin," Howell said. "Music is what brings us together no matter what," Kunin added.

In a bid to nurture "the common good" and "bring the community together," Howell hopes to raise enough money to distribute the CD, complete with a cover photo of hands stretched to form a heart framing the sky. "I'm not selling it, I'm giving it away," he said. "What could be better?"

Those interested in lending a hand may contact Howell at 465-3114 or visit his music website at www.wireonfire.

"The discord in a public meeting allowed the creation of harmonic expression by acknowledging our community," according to a blurb on the CD jacket. "The song that was spontaneously created Sept. 17 at a public commission meeting was crafted from a desire to show that when we gather in conflict, we also gather in accord."

Supervisor Judy Arnold, who served as president of the county board last year, noted that an old definition of musician is "one who belongs to the muse," and added that Howell's song at that board hearing is something she never will forget. "Saxophonist Richard Howell demonstrated the power of his muse when he performed his song 'There's Still a Lot of Love in Marin' before the Board of Supervisors as a gift to all during a contentious housing hearing," she said. "It was harmony that Richard was seeking that day," Arnold added. "The audience who had come to talk about divisiveness was, instead, lead by this gentle man to consider cooperation and compromise."

Howell's website at www.wireonfire declares that "We are all connected, so we must treat each other right," and describes his music as reflecting "the exuberant, rich cultural heritage and definitive musical elements inherent in jazz ... spontaneous creativity."

Every performance of Howell's San Francisco-based jazz band is designed to be inclusive since "the audience is an essential part of the performance," the website explains. Howell is an accomplished player whose saxophone has spiced performances by a wide range of artists, including Etta James, Narada Michael Walden, Della Reese, Cecil Taylor, Buddy Guy, Regina Carter, Charlie Musselwhite, Joe Louis Walker, Taj Mahal, Pete Escovedo and Carlos Santana.

Howell's albums include "The Richard Howell Quintet We Are All Connected,"